One of the most common mistakes I read and hear when people are talking about cats is the misuse of the word “feral”. 80% of the time the word is used, it’s used incorrectly.

Stray vs Feral:

When I’m talking about a feral cat; I’m talking about a cat that is typically unsocialized with humans, cannot be touched, aggressive, territorial and fearful of humans. These are cats that were born outside and have had very little contact with a human. They are not a breed of their own and cats are not innately born feral. Meanwhile, a stray cat was once loved and owned by someone and will remember that humans provide them with food, they will typically stay near homes and places where people are in hopes of food. Some stray cats will sometimes pick up feral instincts depending on their environment, the time they’ve been out and circumstances, but they will never become a true feral cat. Feral mothers give birth to kittens that if not socialized with humans will also become feral cats, but if socialized under 8 weeks there is a strong chance of them being friendly and accepting of humans in a manner that is expected of a loving fur companion.

But my cat’s feral, she bites me!

Just because your cat may be “spicy” or full of “cattitude” does not mean your cat is feral. If your cat is comfortable living indoors and accepts any form of affection from you (kisses, pets, hugs, being held, cuddling, chin scratches etc) then your cat is not feral- just spicy. Just like humans, cats too have different personalities that come with their own set of comfort levels, preferences and character traits. Some will like belly rubs, and others won’t, you as their human companion just need to learn their preferences and respect them for the individuals that they are.

If you find a cat outside that you know for sure is not owned by anyone in your area, and you’re caring for it (providing food, water and possibly even shelter from the rain outside) you can determine if the cat is feral or a stray by cautiously attempting to touch it. Is it rubbing against your leg? Is it accepting love? Does it like to come near you? If you answered yes to any of these questions then the cat is likely to be a stray and you should try to take it to a vet to be checked for a chip as it may be someone’s missing cat. If you answered no to all those questions, then it’s a feral cat and you should reach out to your local TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) organization (Like Abby Cat Daddy and FCM Community Cat Trappers) so that the cat can be sterilized and vaccinated to prevent unwanted kittens being born outside and the spread of disease before returning it to the area for the cat to live out its days in its home (and preventing the Vaccum effect).

Why does it matter?

Wording matters, accurately describing a cat and their behaviour matters not only so vet staff and rescue volunteers can remain safe while working with them; but feral cats have very little support (this is improving) so we need to ensure all funds that are dedicated to ferals gets spent on feral cats and not strays- who do get more funding support. When we use the term incorrectly we are also undermining the meaning of the word.

Another reason why this matters, is of course the value of resources that are poured into the attempts to “rehabilitate” a feral cat to become an adoptable cat. This is something that we at Abby Cat Daddy are vehemently against and do not support. It is a waste of resources, as it can take months or even years to force a cat to accept touch or their new circumstances by means of fear, the process creates an immense sense of anxiety and stress on the cats that can lead to health problems down the line. Furthermore, those resources that are being used on a cat that doesn’t want it- could be going to a cat that needs it and will end in adoption. Feral cats need to be respected as the individuals that they are- are brought back to their homes quickly to prevent any unwanted stress on them. If a cat self-socializes itself with its caretaker and becomes friendly on its own terms, then fine- take them in and work on getting them to a point of adaptability, but it should never be forced or even the default when working with community cats.

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